The MCHLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) has turned down a council's application to introduce a new selective licensing scheme for 3,000 rented homes.

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Stoke-on-Trent City Council intended to introduce its new selective licensing scheme in 14 areas to improve PRS housing conditions and reduce anti-social behaviour.

But the MHCLG dismissed the city council’s application, although saying it did meet the ‘statutory criteria’.

The council was hoping that every landlord, within the designated areas, would have to apply for the scheme and pay £500 per property which would cover them for five years.

The properties would have to meet the council's accepted levels of 'habitation' and landlords failure to do so could cost them up to £20,000 in fines.

Needless to say many landlords opposed the scheme stating that all it would achieve would be to further 'burden' good landlords, and that the council needs to turn its attention to solving real issues within the sector.

The council is unable to appeal against the government's decision; however it can re-apply at a later date.

Landlady Sara Hammerton who has a number of properties she rents out to students, would have been affected by the council's scheme and welcomed the HCLG's decision.

She said: “I was surprised when I heard about this, but I think the ministry has made the right decision.

“I understand that the council is now considering its options, but I really hope they don’t waste even more taxpayers’ money appealing against this decision.

“What we’ve been saying all along is that the council should be concentrating on enforcement of the existing rules. Selective licensing only punishes the good landlords while doing nothing about the rogue ones.”

Even though another landlady Kath Currie would not have been affected by the intended licensing scheme, she was still 'dead set' against it.

Currie said: “It wouldn’t have affected me but I was just against it in principle, as I don’t think it works. And I think the fact that the ministry has turned down the council’s application vindicates our opposition.

“I don’t know if the council is planning to go through all this again and re-apply, but I hope they don’t. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The City's council hierarchy, along with so many other authorities 'bigwigs' have argued such schemes will always help to improve housing conditions within the private rented sector.

According to the Stoke City council, the licensing scheme would have affected areas that have a high concentration of rented accommodation, anti social behaviour and vacant properties.

Following a public consultation held last year on the proposed licensing scheme, cabinet members approved the regulations which would have been introduced early this year, until the MHCLG's intervention.

The government department has not told the council exactly why it has dismissed its application.

A city council spokesman said: “We can confirm we have received notification from the government department on this. We are in dialogue with the department about the decision.”

Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: "It seems that the council's intended cash cow has been put out to grass for the time being.

"There are two possible reasons why the government's decision was in the landlords' favour; one is that the government will be going ahead with its plans to introduce a national landlord registration scheme that of course will involve a fee.

"Secondly, which is less likely, is that council's enforcement cases are extremely low as many are understaffed to carry out truly effective measures."